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Sony Shuts Down Wipeout Developer Studio Liverpool

Wipeout 2048 for PlayStation Vita is the final game from Studio Liverpool. Sony shut down the venerable development studio on Wednesday.

Image: Sony

Sony has closed down its Liverpool studio, a veteran game developer of almost 30 years that has had a hand in iconic franchises like Wipeout and Lemmings.

[partner id="wireduk"]The studio started life as Psygnosis, and was founded by Ian Hetherington and David Lawson in 1984. It was one of the best-known developer and publishers on the Amiga computer – infamous for its iconic owl logo and the distinctive artwork on its boxes.

It produced games like Deep Space, Barbarian and Obliterator, published the visually ambitious Shadow of the Beast, and brought Lemmings – the memorable puzzle game from DMA Design (now Grand Theft Auto developer Rockstar North) – into the world.

In 1993, the company was acquired by Sony, ahead of the 1995 launch of the PlayStation. It still published games, but also developed titles like G-Police and Colony Wars.

But its standout hit was the futuristic anti-grav racer Wipeout. A platform-defining game, it featured a killer electronic soundtrack with artists like the Chemical Brothers and Aphex Twin and a striking visual style by since-shuttered Sheffield-based graphic design studio The Designers Republic.

In 1999, the company was fully merged into Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, and rebranded as SCE Studio Liverpool. Since then, the company has been responsible for Formula One and Wipeout games for various PlayStation consoles. Its last game was the gorgeous Wipeout 2048 for Vita.

"Liverpool Studio has been an important part of SCE Worldwide Studios since the outset of PlayStation, and have contributed greatly to PlayStation over the years," read the statement. "Everyone connected with Liverpool Studio, past and present, can be very proud of their achievements."